Piano-key.



PATENTED MAY 8, 1906. J. DOYLE. PIANO KEY.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 16, 1905.

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PATENTED MAY 8, 1906.

J. DOYLE.

PIANO KEY.

APPLIGATION FILED AUG. 16, 1905.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 SPO JOSEPH DOYLE, OF WEST INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA.

PIANO-KEY.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 8, 1906.

Application filed August 16.1905. Serial No. 274,442-

To aZZ whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH DOYLE, a citizen of the United States, residing at West Indianapolis, in the county of Marion and State of Indiana, have invented new and useful Improvements in Piano-Keys, of which the h following is a specification.

This invention has relation to keys and key-mountings of pianofortes.

It is the object of the invention to provide improved means for pivotally connecting the key with the balance-rail, so that the former may, when struck to give an impulse to the hammer, be given an easy true rocking motion, and there will be no tendency to any lateral binding movement, all as is hereinafter fullyexplained.

The invention as embodied in the means shown in the annexed drawings com rises a pivot-pin extending u from the roc er-bar or balance-rail throug a hole, in which it is given ample play, and relatively snugly through a squarely-notched base-block, in which notch is a block of softer wood having flanges at its ends that extend over and upon the base-block, the soft-wood block being given play to slide to an appreciable extent in said square notch, and spaced wires extending through the ends of the base-block and through the flanged block, through which latter and the base-block the pivot-pin also extends, all as is hereinafter set forth.

The drawings hereto annexed form a part of this specification and are to be referred to as such, said figures representing, in-

Figure l, a perspective view of the invention and connecting parts; Fig. 2, a longitudinal sectional view; Fig. 3, a transverse section through the center; Fig. 4, a horizontal sectional view.

Similar characters designate similar parts or features wherever they occur.

In the drawings, A designates the key, which, unless otherwise explained, may be understood to be of usual form, construction, and function, arranged to be rocked to the extent necessary on the balance-rail 2, that extends the full width of the pianoforte-action and is supported on the structure 3. Felt-covered rests 4 will be provided under each end of the key, as is usual, and between the rocker-bar or balance-rail and the key there is a disk or piece of felt 5 around the pivot-pin 6, which extends rigidly up from the rocker-bar or balance-rail and key and through the two pivot-blocks, to be presto give impulse to the hammer in the ently mentioned and explained in detail. At its inner end each key A will be plugged with counterbalancing-weights 7 7 7, as shown,

which subserve the purpose indicated by their name and give steadiness of motion to the key.

When the key A is struck on its outer end I 4 ac tion to effect the striking of a string, the inner end of said key will be raised to an extent and more on a line forming part of an arc of a circle that will be barely appreciable. Hence the enlargement of the hole in the key to give the pivot-pin sufficient play to have the aforesaid operation take place will be but slight.

8 designates the pivot-block, that isfixed on the upper surface of the key A by gluing or otherwise, and it has a square notch 9 formed in the center of its upper side, which notch extends through from side to side of said block and the pivot-pin 6 extends through thesaid block 8 in the center of the notch. The hole formed for the reception 'of the pin will be barely large enough to admit it freely. A square block 10 of softer wood, preferably, than the block 8, having thin flanges 1 1 at its ends, is arranged in the notch 9 with considerable space at its ends to allow it to play with freedom longitudinally in the said notch 9, with the flanges 11 lapping on the upper surface of pivot-block 8 at both ends of the said square notch. Two wire rods 12 12 extend longitudinally through the ends of the pivot-block at the sides of the said square notch, which wires lie in the same plane and are properly spaced. The said wires also extend through the square block 10 in the notch 9, and the 0 en slots for the said wires in the said bloc; provide for a most easy motion of the latter from end to end of the said notch. The arrangement of the wires in the blocks is such as to allow the square block 10 the greatest freedom of movement on the wires by the pivot-pin 6, Which, as hereinbefore shown, extends through a vertical hole in said block as the key A is rocked on the balance-rail or rookerbar 2. To explain the mode of operation in another way, the key A will be allowed the greatest freedom of motion in rocking on the bar 2, while the wires 12 will keep it from having lateral motion to bind it on its pivot without in the slightest degree obstructing its aforesaid rocking movement.

It has been found necessary in illustrating notched block on the the pivot-blocks to represent them as being larger relatively than they really are; but it will be understood that they will not be made larger than is necessary and not so large as to obstruct the freedom of motion of the parts.

The square flanged block being made of relatively softer Wood than the pivot-block 8 Will soon Wear smooth and Work without friction.

I claim 1. The combination, with the key, the balance -rail, and the ivot pin, of a fixed l ey, and a block adapted to slide in the said notch, the said pivotpin extending vertically through both of said blocks.

2. The combination, with the key, the balance -rail, and the pivot pin of a fixed notched block on the key, and a flanged block adapted to slide in said notch with the flanges resting on the upper outer surface of the first-mentioned block, the said pivot-pin extending vertically through both blocks.

3. The combination, with the key, the balance-rail and the pivot-pin, of a fixed notched block on the key, a block adapted to slide in the said notch, a Wire extending through the ends of the fixed block and through the sliding block in said notch, the said pivot-pin extending vertically through both blocks.

4. The combination, with the key, the balance-rail and the pivot-pin, of a fixed notched block on the key, a block adapted to slide in the said notch, a plurality of Wires,

spaced and lying in the same horizontal plane, extending through the ends of the fixed block and through the sliding block in said notch, the said. pivot-pin extending vortically through both blocks.

5. The combination, with the key, the balance -rail and the pivot pin, of a fixed notched block on the key, a block adapted to slide in the said notch and having flanges ex tending from its upper side and lapping on the upper face of the fixed block, two spaced Wires lying in the same horizontal plane, extending through the ends of the fixed block and through the sliding block in said notch, the said pivotpin extending vertically through both blocks.

6. The combination, with the key, the balance-rail and the pivot-pin, of a fixed notched block on the key, a block of softer wood than the fixed block adapted to slide in the said notch and having flanges extending from its upper side and lapping on the upper face of the fixed block, two spaced wires lying in the same horizontal plane, extending through the ends of the fixed block and through the softer-wood sliding block in said notch, the said. pivot-pin extending vertically through both blocks.

In testimony whereof I allix my signature in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOSEPH DOYLE.

Witnesses:

P. J. OAHOLANE, L. O. HARTMAN. 

